Exile of the Soul
by Lady of the Garden
Summary: Chp. 6 is up! This is an Elrohir/Elladan story. What happens when brothers are distanced from each other & strong bonds are broken? Can invisible walls be torn down? Will the love of brothers overcome all boundaries, even those created by a shattered soul
1. Sweet Freedom

Disclaimer: I do not own LOTR (book or movie). I write for my own enjoyment and (hopefully) that of others. I make no profit from this story, it is just for fun.

This is my first fanfiction. Please, please review and let me know what you think. Constructive criticism is fine, but remember that I am just beginning. There will be angst in my story (love it), but the relationships and language should never be offensive to my readers. I thank you for taking the time to read and I hope that you enjoy.

Chapter 1 (revised) -Sweet Freedom

Elrohir stepped out from the dark shadows into the warm sunshine of the early afternoon. He had been stuck in meetings all morning with Elrond, Elladan, Glorfindel, Erestor, and a trade delegation from a neighboring human settlement. The very air in the room had been heavy with the odor of unwashed bodies, despite the fragrance of the many lit candles that had been strategically placed around the conference room before their guests had arrived. The negotiations had progressed slowly and had promised to continue nigh until the evening meal. Having finally escaped, Elrohir desired nothing more than a long, swift ride through the forest that he loved so much. He quickened his pace, knowing that he must hurry if he wished to reach the stables before someone came looking for him.

His proud mount Seren affectionately greeted him as he entered her stall. She was named for the white star upon her forehead, but the rest of her was as black as a moonless night. Nuzzling the pocket of his tunic, she looked for a treat. As he led her outside, Elrohir regretted that he had not had the time to get an apple for her from the cellar. Quickly leaping onto her back, he saluted the guards and rode out of the gate just as Glorfindel came down the steps of the Last Homely House. Glorfindel gave him the same fierce look that he had given the balrog long ago, but Elrohir merely chuckled as he sped away. He couldn't help but congratulate himself on a successful escape.

Elrohir loved the feel of the wind combing her fingers through his long hair as he traveled rapidly past the ancient trees. Looking around, he took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Freedom was indeed most welcome. This is where he truly belonged. He knew that he would pay for it later, most likely with a lecture given by Erestor on responsibility and leadership throughout the ages.

Having been the tutor for the twins when they were younger, Erestor considered it his personal task in life to mold their slightly rebellious natures into those befitting proper Lords of Imladris. This was usually attempted by using some historical lesson from the past to illustrate Erestor's point at that particular moment. Sighing, Elrohir knew that this time would be no different and Erestor would be well prepared when he returned home.

After a few refreshing hours, Elrohir whispered to Seren, and she slowed down. He loved this time of year. The leaves were changing colors, the warm sun caressed his face, and the sky was clear blue with a few white clouds slowly drifting by. He stopped by a small stream to let Seren drink. The water sparkled as if someone had thrown a hand full of diamonds carelessly into its depths. Elrohir idly watched a red maple leaf floating lazily downstream. A small smile appeared upon his face as he gazed upon a grey squirrel on the opposite bank, greedily gathering acorns for the approaching winter. Elrohir never ceased to marvel at how all life came full circle.

The elf knelt down by the water's edge to drink, when suddenly all grew quiet...much too quiet. Elrohir felt a prickly sensation on the back of his neck. There was an urgent feeling in the air coming from the forest. The trees whispered a warning to him that he was in great danger. He firmly gripped his sword, quickly rose, and turned in one fluid, graceful moment, but he was too late.

He heard a taut bowstring being released, felt an incredible burning pressure in his chest, and then heard and knew no more.


	2. No Mere Dream

Disclaimer: I still don't own LOTR (book or movie) and write only for pleasure.

Many thanks to all those who reviewed chapter 1, especially Talayna Tramae. She has been a tremendous help with editing this story. I admire her skills with grammar and punctuation. Author smiles sheepishly as she realizes that she has been out of school for awhile and could greatly benefit from a refresher course in English.

Chapter 2 (revised) -No Mere Dream

"I regret to inform you that Lord Elrohir has been called away on urgent business and sends his most sincere apologies," Glorfindel announced as he returned to the meeting.

Immediately, there was a commotion coming from Erestor. It began with a lot of coughing and sputtering, but ended with a muttered "sincere apologies my..."

"Erestor!" Elrond quickly interrupted.

"What?" Erestor retorted.

Elrond merely cocked an eyebrow and frowned at him.

"My foot , Lord Elrond. If you had kindly let me finish my sentence, you would clearly have heard the word foot," Erestor huffed.

Elrond let out a heavy sigh. Sometimes he sincerely doubted his own sanity when he remembered that he had been the one to appoint Erestor as his chief advisor.

With a smug look on his face, Glorfindel winked at Elrond and suggested that they continue the negotiations.

Meanwhile, Elladan was fuming. He was facing a full afternoon of discussing bushels of wheat, bolts of cloth, and barrels of wine. It was important to both the Edain and the Elves to trade, he knew, but at this particular moment he cared about none of it. Well, perhaps a little about the Edain wine. It could be particularly satisfying when shared at the end of the day with a group of friends. In his mind's eye, he caught a glimpse of a roaring fire in a crowded hall and imagined the golden sounds of laughter ringing out as stories were shared and wine freely passed around. "Oh, to escape to such a place this very instant," he mused silently.

Idly rolling his quill between his thumb and forefinger, Elladan's thoughts returned to Elrohir. Ro had flown free of this neverending boredom and thus was the object of Elladan's discontent. Oh, but he would get his revenge on his little brother. Oh, yes indeed, and revenge could be even sweeter than a glass of Edain wine. Elladan pondered for awhile on the many ways to get even with his brother, but realized that none of them could come to pass until he was released from this room.

He watched a fly buzzing around the room and wondered if it too was looking for an escape. Erestor, who was presently speaking, droned on and on. Elladan's eyes slowly began to glaze over in sleep.

Glorfindel, who was equally as bored, had been enjoying watching Elladan's increasing discomfort as the day progressed. It had become immensely more enjoyable to watch after Elladan had learned of his twin's slipping away. The range of emotions on Elladan's face had been priceless. Glorfindel had been amused by how many different shades of color both Elladan and Erestor had turned when he had made his announcement.

Of course, he could understand their fury. They were all miserable in these meetings. Ah, but misery loves company. Everything was somehow tolerable if they were suffering it together, but leave it to Elrohir to upset the delicate balance by seeking freedom. Somehow that one deed made the meeting intolerable. That young spawn of Mordor was probably, at this very moment, enjoying a swim in a cool pool of water deep in the tranquil forest.

Glorfindel looked over at Elladan as he drifted off to sleep and thought wryly that perhaps there was more than one way to escape Erestor's long-winded speeches.

"No!" Elladan yelled as he suddenly jumped up, overturning his chair in the process. Glorfindel laughed heartily as he had been eagerly waiting for Elrond's oldest son to be discovered sleeping on the job. His booming laughter soon turned to a grimace as he realized that this was no mere dream. One look at the mask of terror upon Elladan's fair face was enough to confirm the seriousness of the situation.

A room full of startled eyes turned towards Elladan. Most in the room were aware of the strong bond between the twins. The men had heard tales of how they could read each other's minds. The Dunedain had told of what great warriors the brothers were and how they were seldom separated in battle. In fact, somehow, they often knew if the other was in peril. This seemed to be an example of such a time.

Elladan gripped his chest and frantically tore at his tunic as he fell back against the wall.

"Ro! Dangweth nin muindor! Oh no..., oh no please, please not this."

Tears were running freely down Elladan's ashen face as he stared helplessly into his father's eyes.

Sindarin translations:

Dangweth- answer, reply, to give new information

nin muindor-my brother

Dear Readers: I tried to make this chapter longer than the first one and implement some of the suggestions that I received from your reviews. I value your input.

No, I haven't forgotten that I have left poor Elrohir badly injured (has he faded?) in the forest all alone (except ,of course, for his horse and I suppose whoever else is out there shooting arrows at him). Keep those reviews coming please, if you ever want to know what happened to him. Mwahh ha ha! Until next time, I bid you a fond adieu.


	3. Broken Bonds

Chapter 3- Broken Bonds

Elrond gripped his son's shoulders and looked into his pain-filled eyes. "What have you seen? What has occurred?"

The men in the delegation had quickly excused themselves as they had realized something was seriously wrong.

"Ada, I can't feel him, I can't feel Ro." Elladan choked out.

"Tell me, son, what have you seen?"

"I have seen nothing. There was a pressure in my chest and pain as if I was on fire. I felt Ro's confusion and than absolutely nothing. It is as if all went dark. He is hurt badly. Ada, where is he? Why can't I feel our bond?"

Glorfindel stepped forward, "Elladan do you believe he yet lives?"

Elladan's dark eyes grew wide and he slowly answered, "Yes, I think...Wouldn't I know it if he wasn't?"

Glorfindel looked from Elladan's pleading eyes to Erestor for guidance. Erestor stared at him for a moment, looked away, and than became very involved in uprighting Elladan's overturned chair. In any other circumstance, Glorfindel would have smiled. Work had always been Erestor's method of coping with difficulties. If uncomfortable, he might become intensely interested in removing a bit of lint from his robes, cooking up a feast, or lighting all the lanterns in the garden.. Glorfindel supposed it was his way of hiding his pain.

Next, Glorfindel looked at Elrond. What he saw scared him worse than his fear for Elrohir. Elrond was looking downwards, his forehead creased in concentration as he valiantly tried to hold his pain inside. His face was etched with despair. On his visage was carved the agony caused by every loved one that he had ever lost and the possibility of having lost Elrohir too. The weight of all the evil in Middle Earth seemed to be upon Elrond's shoulders at that moment. Glorfindel feared that if they had indeed lost Elrohir, that Elrond would also fade.

"Elrond?" he quietly asked. Receiving no answer, he again said "Elrond" in a louder voice.

He was answered by a hoarse voice that cracked in anguish.  
"I can not tell if he lives or what has happened. The vision does not come."

"Enough!" Glorfindel shouted in frustration. He would not despair yet.. "We know nothing other than Elrohir has been hurt and is somewhere outside the gates of Imaldris. We do him no good with our worry. Let us look for him. There is still a few hours of daylight and the moon is close to full tonight. We will be able to search well into the night. Be ready to ride in one hours time."

Erestor was left behind to be in charge while they were gone. Glofindel had doubled the size of the patrols while he was away. He had no idea what they were up against and didn't want to take any chances with their people. He picked nine others to ride with them.

As they rode through the gates, Glorfindel looked around. Ah, this was better. Now there was a fierce look of determination on Elrond's face. Glorfindel had always been an elf of action. He knew the importance of beating back fear and despair. It was a lesson that he had learned long ago in the defense of others that he had cared for. He looked towards Elladan and realized that he too had needed action.

Elladan concentrated on trying to breach the bond to his twin. "Brother, stay strong, we will find you. Don't leave me, fight this. Fight whatever has happened. Fight hard, we are coming."

He didn't know if Elrohir could hear him. All he could do was hope.


	4. Where Arrows Fall

Chapter 4- Where Arrows Fall

A lone figure stepped out of the tree line and cautiously approached the unconscious elf sprawled on the ground. A booted foot kicked the sword away from the body. The same foot nudged the elf a few times in the side. Receiving no response, the shadow slowly crept closer and crouched beside it's prey. Staring into the pale face of this fair being, brought instant remorse to the stranger. Reluctantly, he turned his head to look at the injury that he had inflicted. A crimson stain was spreading rapidly away from the arrow in all directions. Instinctively, he leaned closer and began applying pressure on the wound with both of his hands. As soon as he began this, two other strong hands instantly shot up and closed around his neck. The stranger looked down into the panicked eyes of the elf and yelled loudly for help. Elrohir's keen hearing heard something or someone rapidly approaching from the other side of the stream. He tried to look, but only saw bright spots dancing before his eyes. Now it splashed through the water. It was almost upon him. He didn't have the strength to defend himself against more than one enemy. He frantically looked up as something heavy and solid was smashed into his skull. Once more he surrendered to the darkness that rushed in on him from all sides.

Gasping and coughing , the boy had rolled away from the elf. He lay wide-eyed in the grass trying to regain his breath. A part of him couldn't help but marvel at the strength of the injured elf.

"Haden, are you hurt? Did he injure you?"

"Audra...I...didn't ...mean to."

Audra turned her gaze away from her brother, and began surveying the damage done to their victim. He was losing a lot of blood. Quickly, she ripped a section of her underskirt off and wadded it into a ball. She gently tore open the elf's tunic and pushed the cloth against the hole in his chest.

"Haden, quick get our supplies and we need a fire to heat our knife. I must remove this arrow. I think it must have missed his heart or he would be dead by now."

As Haden did what he was asked, the young woman continued putting pressure on the wound and took a good look at the being that she was helping. He was lean with dark hair that came a little past his shoulders. She noticed that his chest and arms were well-muscled. His eyes, she had seen only briefly, but, even in fear, they had been beautiful too. She grimaced as she noticed the bruise forming on his forehead. Already, there was a large lump where she had hit him with the rock. Shaking her head, Audra looked back at the wound. The bleeding was slower now. Haden was back with their packs and was starting the fire.

After the fire was burning well, she let the pressure off of the wound. It still seeped a bit, but would do for now. She handed the knife to Haden to heat and tore another large piece of her underskirt off. This time she made strips of cloth to bind the wound later. She reached into their supplies and found a needle and thread. Than, taking a deep breath, she started to remove the arrow.

Later, Audra sat with her back against a tree. She felt exhausted, but believed that her patient may have a chance. His breathing was shallower and slower that she thought it should be, but he still lived. She looked down at her hands. They were stained with his blood. Her body started shaking as all that had happened caught up to her. She let out an anguished sob and ran to the water. Crying , she angrily scrubbed at her hands and dress to remove the stains. "Why had this happened? He was an elf, one of the immortal beings. His kind was never meant to die" she lamented.

Her brother came up behind her. "Audra, we cannot stay here, someone will be looking for him. We must go."

"Haden, he can't be moved. He has lost so much blood."

"Audra, that blood will draw foul beasts here tonight. Look at his clothes. He is not poor. He will be missed. The elves cannot find us Audra. They will kill us for this deed."

"We can't leave him!"

"No, we cannot."

"Than, how?"

"There is the horse" Haden stated.

Seren stood off forgotten. She had seen her master fall with the

arrow embedded in his chest, but had not known what to do. She had sensed no evil , despite their actions, from these two. Still, she did not want to leave Elrohir alone with them. Should she ride back to Imaldris for help? She was not sure.

Audra turned and looked at Seren. Quietly, she approached speaking soothing words. Seren shied away, but listed to her words.

"We must help your rider. Please trust us, we mean no harm. Help us get him to a safer place." Audra breathed into Seren's nostrils and gently stroked her neck. There was no saddle, but Audra was not bothered by this.

Quickly, they put out the fire and gathered up their packs. Haden picked up Elrohir's sword admiring the fine workmanship and curious script on it's blade. Carefully, he bundled a blanket around it and tied it to their packs. He tried to hide the evidence of them being there, but knew it was useless. The elves had excellent eyesight and were very clever. They would know. Besides, so much blood stained the ground. They would know. He knew that the campsite would be found and they would be followed.

His sister mounted the horse and than Haden raised the unconscious elf up behind her. They sat him upright, secured him to her back, and tied his hands in front of her. They would need to travel fast and could not risk him falling off.

The sun was setting, they must hurry. Once more, Haden looked around the clearing . Looking into the sky, he let out a heavy sigh. He wondered if any of them would live through this night to see the sun rise once more. He slowly turned and walked heavily back into the woods. He moved with a tiredness and determination much beyond his young years. He smashed his fist into the nearest tree, and quickly broke into a run to catch up with the horse and her two riders.


	5. When Shadows Flee

Disclaimer: I do not own LOTR in any form and am not making a profit off of this story. The only characters that are mine are Audra, Haden, and the horse Seren.

For your information: Audra is Old English for "noble strength" and Haden is Old English for " hedged valley".

What do you think of the story so far? Keep those reviews coming please. They are very helpful and encouraging.

Chapter 5- When Shadows Flee

Audra looked back at her brother. They had been traveling for almost two hours and she could tell that he was growing weary.

"Haden, will you not have a turn at riding?" she asked.

"No, dear sister, I am fine." he answered.

Truthfully, Haden was not fine. He had been running alongside the horse for a long distance and his feet hurt terribly. In fact, his whole body ached. At least twice he had ran into tree limbs and he had tripped over tree roots a dozen times or more in the dark. The elven horse was unable to go nearly as fast as she might because of Haden's lack of endurance. Thus, he was putting Audra in danger by slowing them down. With all of his remaining strength, he wished for one of the mearas to appear, but knew it would not happen.

The greatest pain that he was feeling was in his heart. Never before had he shot another person. Though he had aimed at the elf, he had not meant to loose the arrow. The elf had been between Haden and his sister. He had only pointed his weapon at him as a precautionary measure. It was the first time that he had seen one of the elves and he had been curiously watching him. He had heard many tales of the elves and wasn't sure which were true. Could they be trusted? Were they friend or foe? This being was tall and was dressed as a hunter with warm woolen tunic, leggings, soft leather boots and .fine weapons. There was a soft glow coming off of his pale skin. He appeared young. Could he really be hundreds or even thousands of years old? As the fair being had knelt to drink from the stream, Haden's eyes had finally turned to gaze at the elven horse. She seemed every bit worthy of her rider. Being no stranger to good horse flesh, Haden admired her with a critical eye. Alas, this had been Haden's mistake. He had taken his eye off of his target for only a minute, but much had happened in that time. The elf had turned and was purposedly striding towards him with a sword in hand. Haden had panicked and released the bowstring. Now that being suffered because of his mistake.

Audra knew her brother would be too proud to ride and let her run for awhile, so she stopped 'the horse to let Haden catch his breath.

"Haden, we are headed towards the Misty Mountains. What is our plan?"

"We must find a cave large enough to hide all of us including the horse," he responded as he bent over with his hands on his knees trying to catch his breath.

"There are orcs in the mountains!" Audra protested.

"Audra, orcs are the least of our concerns right now."

She stared at her brother. His blond hair was matted to his sweat-stained face. He had the beginnings of a beard, but really was too young for a full growth of whiskers. His blue eyes were much too stern for one of only seventeen summers. Even though she was five years older, he had been her protector for as long as she could remember. Audra gave him a little smile.

"How is he?" Haden asked as he motioned towards the elf.

"He has not awoken yet," she replied.

Meanwhile, back in Imladris, Erestor was pacing. He hated being left behind, but knew that with Elrond, the twins, and Glorfindel gone, by default, he was in charge. Well, if he couldn't be of service physically to Elrohir, than he would use his mental capabilities to help. "What did he know? Elrohir was hurt badly. Most likely, by an enemy. Orcs, perhaps? If Elrohir was alive, where would they take him? The Misty Mountains," he thought. "Mirkwood Forest lay on the other side of those mountains. Perhaps, if the woodland elves were summoned..."he pondered. "Yes, if they could send a patrol from the other side of the mountains to intercept the enemy. He would send a message immediately to King Thranduil and request aid ."

Erestor quickly walked over to his desk, pulled out a small piece of parchment, dipped his quill, and elegantly began writing. Ten minutes later, he walked to the window and summoned one of Elrond's messenger pigeons. He gently tied the message to her leg and with urgency asked her to take it to Mirkwood. She gracefully dipped her head at him and flew into the air. Erestor felt his hopes also take wing as he watched her climb higher and higher heading towards the east.

Author's note: Yes, Legolas is coming to the rescue. I just missed him too much to continue leaving him out of this story.

Please take a minute and review. It is great motivation for me to post the next chapter.


	6. Cirith Forn en Andrath

Disclaimer: I do not own anything LOTR. Haden, Audra, and Seren are my characters.

Sorry, it has taken me so long to update. I had a bit of writer's block and also have been extremely busy the last few months. Thanks for being patient. Please review, if you like the story.

Chapter 6 Cirith Forn en Andrath

"Haden, I do not want to enter the mountains in the dark." Audra involuntarily shivered as she looked up at the towering spires blanketed in darkness.  
"We must Audra. I feel sure that we are being tracked. We need to find a place to hide and perhaps defend if it comes to that. I would prefer a place of refuge before morning"  
"The way is narrow and dangerous. It should not be attempted at night," Audra pleaded.  
Haden growled loudly, "What would you have me do woman?" Lowering his voice he murmured, "I can't travel much farther without resting"  
"My lady, I know of a cave that is close by and well hidden" a gentle voice entered the conversation.  
Haden's head whipped around to look at the two riders on the horse. Audra stiffened and her eyes grew large as she realized that the elf tied to her back was now awake and speaking to them.  
"Forgive me friends. I did not mean to startle you," Elrohir smiled. The smile did not quite travel to his eyes. He had noticed the man had instinctively reached for his knife. Elrohir felt very confused. He was aware that he was wounded and in a lot of pain, but had no memory of how that occurred. He was riding Seren, but did not remember who his companions were. Thick ropes bound him to the back of the woman seated in front of him. Gazing around, he could see his bow and arrows tied to Seren's side. There was also a blanketed bundle that was perhaps his sword, but he couldn't be sure.  
The man just stood looking at him with his mouth hanging open.  
"Um, that...would...be very helpful," Audra stammered.  
"Forgive me, my name is Elrohir." the elf said as he introduced himself.  
"I am called Audra and this is my brother Haden," Audra responded.  
"Well met Lady Audra and Haden," Elrohir answered. "You mentioned that we are being followed. Who is it that pursues us?" Elrohir questioned the man.  
"Orcs!" Haden said forcefully as he looked away from the elf.  
"Ah, that would explain my wound. I don't seem to recall being injured. Was the arrow poisoned?" Elrohir softly asked.  
"No, I pulled it out and it was not," Audra said as she discreetly tried to brush a tear away that had escaped. The memory was still too fresh in her mind. She had feared for his life.  
Elrohir noticed and was touched by the lady's gentle nature. "Than, I have been fortunate. Neither of you have been injured?" Elrohir asked.  
"We are fine." Haden roughly answered as he trudged up the path ahead of them.  
"I'm sorry, my brother has a lot on his mind and is very weary." Audra whispered to the elf.  
"It is understandable , Lady Audra. I fear that I was of no help when he battled the orcs. I can't remember... How did we escape?" Elrohir asked.  
"I think we only managed to scare them off, we did not openly fight them, " Audra answered. She was very afraid that he would catch them in their lies.  
"I was alone when attacked?" Elrohir asked himself as much as Audra. Somehow it didn't seem right that he would be traveling solo. "Were there no others with me?" he questioned.  
"There was no one else," she responded truthfully.  
"Where is this cave that you spoke of?" Haden interrupted.  
"It is just around the bend and up there," Elrohir pointed.  
"Why, you would have to be a mountain goat to climb up there!" Audra exclaimed.  
Elrohir started to laugh, but winced in pain instead. "It is possible, I promise. If you will untie me, I will lead Seren up. She will not let you fall. Haden, I will show you where to find handholds." Elrohir grimaced as he tried to twist around to look back down the trail.  
Audra untied Elrohir and he used her shoulder to brace himself as he eased down from his horse. Seren turned her head and playfully nudged his hand. Elrohir grinned and shook his head. "Seren, do you ever think of anything besides apples?"

Elrohir felt as if dwarves were mining inside of his head. He could feel their ceaseless pounding over and over again. His chest wound had been reopened by the steep climb and was seeping through the bandages. "Just a little farther," he said out loud. He wasn't sure if he was speaking to his edain friends or to himself. He felt hot and more than a little bit dizzy. He looked out over the deep valley below. Dawn was rapidly approaching. They should hurry. He was in no condition to fight orcs or anything else that might come along. When they reached the cave, he could rest he promised himself.  
"Almost there," Elrohir gasped. Had he already said that, he couldn't remember. Haden was above him and had done well in using the footholds and crevices that Elrohir had pointed out.  
Haden glanced down at the elf. He noticed that Elrohir had beads of sweat on his forehead. Somehow the elf wasn't near as graceful as Haden thought that he would be. The elf had stopped giving climbing directions minutes ago, but Haden would never ask for help, especially from an elf. He continued climbing.  
Audra looked down at Elrohir. She knew that he shouldn't be climbing. She had seen his left hand go to his wound and there had been drops of blood on the rocks that they had passed. She was about to call to Haden for help when it happened.  
Haden had placed his right foot on a rock and was beginning to pull himself up when the rock under his foot gave way. He frantically tried to regain his footing , but didn't succeed. He came crashing towards them. Elrohir reached out to grab him and they both tumbled past Audra.  
Audra brought her fist to her mouth in an attempt to silence the scream she felt welling up inside of her. Small rocks and gravel rained down the mountainside as the man and the elf skidded and rolled rapidly down.  
Haden's fall had been slowed when the elf had grabbed him. Now , they were gaining momentum, but the elf had not released him. Elrohir was heading towards a ledge and Haden could feel the elf loosening his grip so as to not pull him over too. Trying not to panic, Haden looked around for anything to stop their fall. He grabbed a thorn bush growing on the ledge. "Elf, don't let go," he yelled. Elrohir's eyes met his for a moment and than he also saw the bush. He instantly tightened his grip on the man's wrist. Elrohir was yanked to a rough stop which did nothing to help the pounding in his head or the pain in his chest.  
Audra had not screamed, to do so might have alerted an enemy. She felt the metallic, salty taste of blood in her mouth. Looking down at her fist, she was surprised at what her silence had cost her. She had bitten deeply into her index finger as she had pressed her fist into her mouth.  
As Elrohir and Haden climbed slowly back up to her, she realized that it had been worth it. She had almost lost her brother and would not knowingly ever do anything to endanger him.  
Haden saw how much the fall had cost the elf. He was visibly trembling and weaving as he tried to climb back up the mountainside. Haden reached down and pulled him up the last few yards to the mouth of the cave. Audra had gone ahead and waited for them. She guided Elrohir into the cave as Haden gathered nearby brush to block the entrance. He took one last look outside and entered the cave feeling confident that they were hidden well.  
As the sun came up over the horizon, a lone figure gazed up at the side of the mountain. His attention had been attracted by a dustcloud and a small avalanche of rocks falling down the side. His curiousity aroused, he decided to have a closer look at the cause of the disturbance.

Translations: Cirith pass forn north andrath long climb Cirith Forn en Andrath high-climbing pass of the north (also known as the Pass of Imladris). 


End file.
